HICP is the EU-harmonised inflation measure used to compare consumer price changes across European countries.
What it means in Dutch business
HICP matters because it feeds ECB policy, market expectations, wage pressure and cross-country comparisons of Dutch price movement. For The Polder reader, the term is useful when it explains what must be checked in the Dutch file, who carries responsibility and how a public rule or signal reaches daily business decisions.
Why it matters
HICP matters because it feeds ECB policy, market expectations, wage pressure and cross-country comparisons of Dutch price movement.
Where readers see it
- inflation comparison
- ECB policy
- market forecasts
- price pressure
- wage discussions
In practice
- inflation comparison
- ECB policy
- market forecasts
- price pressure
- wage discussions
What to check
- Whether HICP is a hard data point, a survey signal or a market-price signal.
- Which period, source and comparison base are being used.
- How the signal reaches margins, financing, demand, wages or investment timing.
- Whether company-level evidence confirms or contradicts the public signal.
Common mistake
HICP and national CPI can differ. A business reader should know which inflation measure is being used.
The Polder reading
The Polder reads HICP through Market Pulse: not as loose terminology, but as a way to connect inflation comparison, ECB policy, market forecasts to the decision a company, adviser or public authority has to defend.
Related terms
- CPI
- ECB
- CBS
Related Polder columns
- Dutch Inflation Rose, but Your Margin Has Its Own Clock
- Dutch Inflation Is Back Where Margins Feel It First
Last updated by The Polder Dictionary on 2026-06-09T08:30:15+00:00.